Former Vikings Fan Favorite Hired By AFC Team
In the 2022 season, the Minnesota Vikings attempted to pair veteran Patrick Peterson with a bunch of young cornerbacks. Rookies Akayleb Evans and Andrew Booth Jr. both struggled to stay healthy, and Cam Dantzler had some struggles in his own right. That’s when an unlikely hero emerged.
Former Vikings Fan Favorite Hired By AFC Team
Duke Shelley, hired after the Chicago Bears just cut him, was a practice squad elevation and later a fixture in Minnesota’s secondary when the injuries were piling up. His courageous plays helped him find a place in Skol Nation’s hearts.
Fast forward about two and a half years, and Shelley has never replicated the success he had in the second half of the 2022 season. The good news is that he has at least found a new employer for the upcoming preseason.
The Indianapolis Colts hired the undersized corner. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the slew of moves: “Roster moves: Colts signed CB Tre Herndon and CB Duke Shelley, placed CB David Long Jr. on IR and released TE Albert Okwuegbunam Jr.”
The Colts deal with various issues in their secondary. In addition to Long Jr’s injury, Jaylon Jones and JuJu Brents both suffered hamstring injuries, and they might be sidelined for a while.
Indianapolis wrote on the team website: “Shelley, 5-9, 176 pounds, has played in 53 career games (11 starts) in his time with the Giants (2024), Los Angeles Rams (2023), Las Vegas Raiders (2023), Minnesota Vikings (2022) and Chicago Bears (2019-22).”
Not listed are some short-term employments, including last year’s stint with the Vikings. When the club was scrambling in the secondary following Mekhi Blackmon‘s season-ending knee injury, the Vikings just hired their former player for a second time, but he failed to make the team.
“He has compiled 87 tackles (64 solo), 14 passes defensed, one interception, one fumble recovery and six special teams stops. Shelley has also appeared in three postseason contests (one start) and has registered seven tackles (five solo), two passes defensed and one special teams stop. He was originally selected by the Bears in the sixth round (205th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Kansas State. In 2024, Shelley spent time on the Giants’ active roster and practice squad. He played in one game and tallied one solo tackle.”
In his legendary 2022 season, he played 12 games for the Vikings and logged six starts, including one postseason matchup. In Week 18, he caught his first interception in the NFL. Shelley recorded 31 combined tackles and defended eight passes.
According to Pro Football Focus, Shelley was the fourth-best CB in the league that season, with a coverage grade of 86.4. Opposing passers were limited to a passer rating of 59.6 when throwing in his direction.
In the legendary game against the Bills, Shelley broke up a pass intended for tight end Dawson Knox, who is over half a foot taller. In the comeback against the Colts, he logged multiple crucial stops in the passing game, allowing the Vikings to go record-hunting.
He then bounced around, but has never found his footing elsewhere. In Indianapolis, he’ll meet an old friend: Cam Bynum. The safety also started in the 2022 campaign in Ed Donatell’s flawed defense.
Shelley will turn 29 in October. He needs some good weeks in practice and a couple of decent preseason contests to make his case for a roster spot. Perhaps he can pick off Daniel Jones, another ex-Viking, in practice.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.